Xi'an Daming Palace National Heritage Park will be open to the public this October.

Upon completion of its renovation, the attraction will become a comprehensive park with an area of 3.2 square kilometers, including the original Daming Palace heritage site and modern features of cultural tourism and commercial service.

According to Zhan Yuanzhong, director of the Historical Relics Protection Institute of Daming Palace Heritage Park, the project revives the original palace on the basis of preservation of cultural relics. A cultural boulevard is being built in the Park to provide a good view of Danfengmen Gate Square and the fairyland-like Taiye Pool.

The renovation of the Tang architecture and culture is expected to attract visitors from home and abroad. The Park is so large that it takes at least 3 hours to travel through it by car.

Daming Palace, located on the Longshou Plateau in the northeast of Xi'an, Shaanxi province, was built in the 8th year (AD 634) of the Zhenguan reign.

The palace was originally named Yong’an Palace. It was the summer palace Emperor Li Shimin built for his father, Emperor Li Yuan. With a perimeter of 7.6 kilometers, it covered a large area of 3.3 square meters, 4.5 times larger than the Forbidden City. It served as the political center of the Tang Dynasty for over 200 years.

By Xie Fang